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Of course, you would expect to read about flossing on a dentist’s blog. Every time you visit the dentist you are asked whether you have been flossing regularly. Yet, do you know why the habit of flossing is seen as so important? If you truly understood what flossing does for your smile, you would rarely skip out on this vital habit.
Flossing is the most important thing you can do for your smile. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, if this shocks or surprises you, that means you truly do not know the benefits of flossing. You see, dental floss is the only tool designed to scrape away plaque from the teeth. Dental plaque is a dangerous substance that collects on the teeth throughout every single day. If you have ever run your tongue over your teeth at the end of the day and felt a fuzzy film coating them, then you know exactly what plaque feels like. And if you have ever scraped white stuff off from the sides of your teeth, then you know exactly what plaque looks like. It is a gross, sticky substance, and it is dangerous to your smile if it is not removed. (more…)
Got a Pain In the Tooth?
At Heritage Dental, we want to know if you have a pain in the tooth. Our dental team understands that you or one of your family members may choose to avoid the dentist out of fear, or time constraints, or budget limitations. However, we also understand that avoiding the dentist will not relieve your pain – it will only make matters worse. The mouth is a very complex feature of the entire body. Unlike many areas, an issue with a tooth is not likely to go away on its own. If the proper intervention is not given within a proper time frame, you run the risk of excruciating pain and the loss of your tooth. (more…)
Gum Disease and Children
Gum disease is an infectious inflammation that can have serious effects on overall well-being. Severe gum disease is not pervasive in children, but it can and does happen.
The first stage of periodontal disease is gingivitis. The symptoms of gingivitis include bleeding gums, chronic bad breath, pus pockets near the gums, swollen, red, irritated gums, and gum tissue recession. (more…)
Fluoride Guards Against Cavities and Decay
As children are growing, parents pay close attention to their developing teeth as they erupt and form. They want to monitor the teeth closely to set them up for a lifetime of good oral health. You teach them how to brush and floss, limit sugar, and eat a balanced diet. Conversely, as they enter adulthood, teeth are no longer growing, and people sometimes become lax and less attentive about our own oral hygiene.
One of the key ways to keep teeth in their best shape is with fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral found in nature, many foods, and in city water. Each day you are taking in some fluoride, but you are also losing it as our teeth experience demineralization, or erosion, from oral bacteria. (more…)
Make Dental Visits a Priority
Busy lives and full schedules make priorities a necessity, otherwise important events slip through the cracks. Even things you know should be easy priorities often get put off or pushed aside. For instance, you know you should exercise 5x a week, yet work days are long, evenings are jam-packed with kids’ sporting schedules, dinner needs to be eaten, homework needs to be done – and it is often too late in the day to even think about exercising once you actually have the time. Many people find themselves in the same situation regarding dental visits: they know they should go to the dentist and they even made their appointment, but when it comes time for the appointment it is often difficult to juggle the demands of a work day around a visit to the dentist. Yet, neglecting to go to the dentist affects more than “just” your oral health, and should, therefore, be a priority that you keep. (more…)
Gum Disease and Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a huge moment in time for a woman, whether it is her first pregnancy or her fifth. During the nine months of pregnancy, there is a lot to be done: tell friends and family, make and keep prenatal appointments, decorate a nursery, buy all the essentials, and make and keep dental appointments. Wait, dental appointments? Yes.
During pregnancy, huge changes occur in a woman’s body – more than just a growing abdomen. The entire body must accommodate the development of a growing baby which includes the respiratory system rising to accommodate more oxygen that the mother and baby needs, the blood supply doubling, the breasts growing and preparing to produce milk, and the hormones drastically fluctuating to adapt to the developing baby and for the preparation for delivery. To fully appreciate that all of that occurs in just nine months is actually remarkable! (more…)
Receding Gums
People overlook many things regarding their health assuming that they will “just go away.” While the body is designed with amazing healing properties, intervention is often necessary to ensure that certain issues do not wreak havoc on your life. Receding gums is an issue that many people tend to overlook until severe consequences have occurred. The gum tissues within the mouth serve two vital roles: 1) helping the jaw bone hold the teeth securely in place, and 2) protecting the roots and nerve fibers of the teeth. When the gum tissue recedes, the health of the teeth is vulnerable to deterioration. (more…)
Importance of a Good Dental Routine
Having a routine in place is a helpful way to achieve your goals. Without a routine, many people find that they either take longer to reach their goals or do not reach them at all. All a routine is, is a plan laid out to help you reach a certain objective. Routines do not need to be complicated. In fact, a simple routine often provides an easier path to where you want to go. When it comes to your oral health, making it through life with a healthy and complete smile is the ultimate objective. By following the steps below, you will have simple strides for implementing a good dental routine. (more…)
Qualified Cosmetic Dentistry
Any time you need specialized services, it is important that you find a qualified specialist. When your car needs service, you take it to a mechanic not a vet; when your appliances need repair, you call in a home service company. Therefore, when your teeth need specific attention, it is essential that you find a dentist that is qualified in cosmetic dentistry to trust. If your smile needs care and attention, Dr. Hieu Nguyen, DDS, is an experienced and highly exceptional dentist with both general and cosmetic dentistry. At Heritage Dental, we understand that your smile is one of your most personal features, and when you are unhappy with your smile it can affect your entire life. That is why our dental practice is committed to providing exceptional dentistry to patients of all ages. (more…)
Smoking: A Real Drag On Your Oral Health
Smoking and the use of all tobacco products poses significant risks to your health. Breathing problems and lung cancer are widely known to be direct results from smoking, and there are two other serious concerns that you may not be as aware of. Understanding how devastating smoking can be on your overall and oral health can help to encourage you or a loved one to finally call it quits with tobacco.
Periodontal disease and oral cancer may not receive as much attention as lung cancer and breathing problems (e.g. COPD), but both of these have the ability to destroy your oral health and compromise the health of your entire body. The mouth is made up of living tissues that have direct links to your blood supply. Any type of infection or disease that occurs inside the mouth can easily pass through the blood stream and affect the rest of the body. This is what makes periodontal disease so dangerous. (more…)